Merge pull request #267 from Parcels-code/valenti-muelas_paper

Adding Valenti-Muelas paper

Author: erikvansebille

src/data/papers-citing-parcels.ts

@@ -2852,4 +2852,12 @@ export const papersCitingParcels: Paper[] = [
     abstract:
       'We report the recurrent formation of waters with thermohaline properties similar to Gulf Common Water (GCW) in the western Yucatan Channel, absent upstream in the Caribbean. Mooring observations and a partial submesoscale-resolving model show that these Yucatan GCW forms locally when the Yucatan Current separates from the slope, intensifying a frontal zone with isopycnal uplift, cyclonic vorticity, and sharp lateral gradients, signatures of submesoscale activity. These conditions favor interleaving and mixing among Caribbean inflow waters within a vertically compressed isopycnal layer. Lagrangian backtracking confirms their local origin, while forward tracking reveals export within cyclonic frontal eddies along the Loop Current periphery. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognized pathway of water-mass transformation in the Yucatan Channel and highlight its potential implications for Loop Current variability.',
   },
+  {
+    title: 'Polyester Microfiber Dynamics in an Estuarine Semi-Enclosed Basin',
+    published_info: 'Journal of Geophysical Research, 131, e2025JC023366',
+    authors: 'Valentí-Muelas, J, SE Allen, L Waugh (2026)',
+    doi: 'https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JC023366',
+    abstract:
+      'Polyester microfibers are one of the most abundant microplastics in marine ecosystems, yet their observed near-surface concentrations are inconsistent with expectations based on their density. To study the mechanisms governing polyester microfiber transport and fate, we developed a Lagrangian particle-tracking module using Parcels to simulate microfiber dynamics in the Salish Sea, incorporating realistic hydrodynamics from a three-dimensional circulation model, SalishSeaCast. The model simulates microfiber release from wastewater treatment plant outfalls across the Salish Sea. A multi-month simulation ensemble highlights strong estuarine retention and shows sedimentation is the primary sink for our configuration. On average, 31  13 of released microfibers are sedimented, 14  4 are beached, but only 0.13  0.11 are exported to the Pacific Ocean. Our model concentration estimations agree within an order of magnitude with new near-surface observations near the Fraser River, but regional discrepancies indicate the existence of additional sources. The results indicate that polyester microfibers accumulate close to source locations and behind sills, due to estuarine dynamics. This model can be used to assess microfiber fate in coastal environments and can inform future pollution mitigation strategies.',
+  },
 ]